Riders of the Stars: A Book of Western Verse |
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Common terms and phrases
adventure ain't Apuni Oyis Arizona boys brave Bronc buckaroos budding cañon Chance Chola comes the cheepin dare dares to love dawn desert e'en eyes faëry fight fire flame glorious fool glow goin gold golden heights golden symphony grass hand heart heart's desire inside song Johnny-Jo José knew lace filming lady-hoss laughed lean coyote Little owls lonely hill lost Mad lover Malachite Malibu measured by joy Mebby MESA MAGIC mighty hills mist morning mountain musical drone never NEVERMORE night o'er old she-grizzly open range Oriflamme pardner Parnassus parson pass plover pony pony's questing bee quirt rein ridin ROAN CAYUSE rode rope Sage a-shinin sand serape shadows silver singin singing smile spur stand stars steer Sunlight talking there's nothin Toby hoss trail ahead Trail-to-Glory True Romance turned upland rider valley voices call water-hole wend whisper wind ye ride Yeabo
Popular passages
Page 74 - Half the toil — and we had won to wealth in other station ; Rusted out as useless ere our worth was tried and known. But the Hand that made us caught us up and hewed a nation From the frozen fastness that so long was His alone. *•*•*• Loud we sang adventuring and lustily we jested; Quarreled, fought, and then forgot the taunt, the blow, the jeers; Sinned and slaved and vanished — we, the giant-men who wrested Truth from out a dream wherein we planned surpassing years.
Page 80 - ... Yes, mam ! Warm, mam ? Want to rest a minute ? Like to get a breath of air lookin' at the stars? All right ! Fine night — Dance ? There's nothin' in it! That's my pony there, peekin' through the bars. Bronc, mam? No, mam! Gentle as a kitten! Here, boy! Shake a hand! Now, mam, you can see; Night's cool. What a fool to dance, instead of sittin' Like a gent and lady, same as you and me.
Page 4 - But an oath had come between us — I was paid by Law and Order; He was outlaw, rustler, killer — so the border whisper ran; Left his word in Caliente that he'd cross the Rio border — Call me coward? But I hailed him — "Riding close to daylight, Dan ! " Just a hair and he'd have got me, but my voice, and not the warning, Caught his hand and held him steady; then he nodded, spoke my name, Reined his pony round and fanned it in the bright and silent morning, Back across the sunlit Rio up the...
Page 79 - Cowboys' Ball. Big feet, little feet, all the feet a-clickin'; Everybody happy and the goose a-hangin' high; Lope, trot, hit the spot, like a colt a-kickin'; Keep a stompin' leather while you got one eye. Yah! Hoo! Larry! would you watch his wings a-floppin', Jumpin' like a chicken that is lookin' for its head; Hi! Yip! Never slip, and never think of stoppin', Just keep yo'r feet a-movin
Page 75 - Weaklings drifted homeward; else they tarried — worse than dying — With the painted lips and wastrels on the edges of the night. Berries of the saskatoon were ripening and falling; Flowers decked the barren with its timber scant and low; All along the river-trail were many voices calling, And e'en the whimpering Malemutes they heard — and whined to go. Eyelids seared with fire and ice and frosted parka-edges; Firelight like a spray of blood on faces lean and brown; Shifting shadows of the pines...
Page 79 - Pass him up another for his arm is gettin' slow. Bow down! right in town — and sashay down the middle; Got to keep a-movin
Page 80 - That's my pony there, peekin' through the bars. Bronc, mam? No, mam! Gentle as a kitten! Here, boy! Shake a hand! Now, mam, you can see; Night's cool. What a fool to dance, instead of sittin' Like a gent and lady, same as you and me. Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip! tunin...
Page 75 - Berries of the saskatoon were ripening and falling; Flowers decked the barren with its timber scant and low; All along the river-trail were many voices calling, And e'en the whimpering Malemutes they heard — and whined to go. Eyelids seared with fire and ice and frosted parka-edges; Firelight like a spray of blood on faces lean and brown ; Shifting shadows of the pines across our loaded sledges, And far behind the fading trail, the lights and lures of town. So we played the bitter game nor asked...
Page 8 - And our singing it doesn't fit in up here though we tried it for old time's sake; Our hands are itching to swing a rope and our legs are stiff; that's why We ask you, Marster, to turn us loose — just give us an even break!' " Then the Lord He spake to the Cherubim, and this was His kindly word: " He that keepeth the threefold keys shall open and let them go; Turn these men to their work again to ride with the starry herd; My glory sings in the toil they crave; 'tis their right. I would have it...
Page 76 - North and west along the coast among the misty islands, Sullen in the grip of night and smiling in the day: Nunivak and Akutan, with Nome against the highlands, On we drove with plated prow agleam with frozen spray. Loud we sang adventuring and lustily we jested; Quarreled, fought, and then forgot the taunt, the blow, the jeers; Named a friend and clasped a hand — a compact sealed, attested; Shared tobacco, yarns, and drink, and planned surpassing years.